Inclosed spring-loaded catch



April 1953 c. CELESTE INCLOSED SPRING-LOADED CATCH Filed June 12, 1951 MWMMMEWEW FIGS INVENTOR FIG-.8

FIG?

CATALDO CELESTE flffirnej Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

(Granted under Title 35, U. S.Code (1952),

see. 266) i The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in fasteners of the type more particularly adapted for securing the lids, covers or separable members to cabinets, boxes, trunks and similar containers.

Examples of fasteners or latching devices belonging to the same general class to which the present improved fastener relates, are shown and described in Patent No. 2,457,985, issued January 4, 1949, to Louis M. Dyson; in Patent 2,462,282, issued February 22, 1949, to Jack Pickford; and in application filed concurrently herewith by Laurence H. Seibert for Chest Catch.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved fastener of the character referred to which, although requiring but a very small eccentricity of movement to apply or close, is effective to hold a lid or cover in tightly closed relation to the associated box or container.

Another object resides in the provision of an improved fastener of the character referred to wherein the individual parts or elements are so designed and coordinated as to give to the complete assembly each of the desirable structural and operating features of fasteners or latching mechanisms such as those aforesaid.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, an embodiment thereof is shown in the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of a fastener constructed and operating in accordance with the present invention, the section being taken on the line l-I in Fig. 6;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, looking toward the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the improved fastener in the open or release position thereof, the section being taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 7 are front elevational views, respectively, of two of the parts in Fig. 1;

Figs. and 8 are side elevational views looking toward the left in Figs. 4 and 7, respectively; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-43 inFig. 1.

The base of the improved fastener is designated by the reference numeral l0, and on opposite sides thereof is provided with lugs II and l2.

A lever or pull I4 is provided along opposite edges thereof with parallel flanges IE5 and [5 which embrace lugs II and I2. Flanges l5 and I6 are pivotally connected to lugs H and [2 by studs I! and [8, respectively.

Shaped from a single piece of sheet metal is a spring retainer IS, the edge portions 26 and 2| of which are bent one over the other, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, to close the retainer at this end.

A U-shaped yoke is disposed with the base part 22 thereof in retainer IS. The opposite and parallel arms 23 and 24 of the yoke extend through the closed end 20, 2| of retainer IS with a sliding fit. Fixed to and connecting arms 23 and 24 at the. free ends thereof, is a bar 25.

Extending through the spring retainer t9 and substantially beyond the same into flanges l5 and 16 of lever i4, is a pin 26 which thereby connects lever Hi and retainer 19 for pivotal movement with respect to each other.

Three similar coil springs 21, 28 and 29 are disposed in retainer l 9 and are held compressed between the base part 22 of the yoke and the closed end 2t, 2| of retainer l9.

An important feature of the improved fastener is provided by a pin 39 or other suitable means fixed in retainer [9 and disposed to function as a stop for the U-shaped yoke, thus holding springs 27, 28 and 29 under substantial initial compression when the fastener is in the open or release position, as shown in Fig. 3.

To install the fastener, the base It thereof is secured by screws 3! to the cabinet, chest or other container 32 whose cover or lid 33 is provided with the striker or hook '34.

As pointed out before, with the fastener in the open or release position whereat pin as acts as a stop to limit inward movement of the yoke, as shown in Fig. 3, springs 27, 28 and 29 are held compressed substantially between the base part 22 of the yoke and the closed end 22, 2t of retainer 19. When bar 25 is swung over hook 3 4 and lever M is pushed inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 6, there is therefore considerable initial spring load on cover 33 as soon as the toggle action or movement becomes sufficient to pull retainer 19 downwardly, or in other words, to effect movement of the yoke relatively upwardly with respect to retainer l9 and clear of the pin or stop 30. This accounts for one of the important characteristics of the improved fastener, namely, that there is required only a relatively short eccentricity of connections to supply or impart any desired amount of tension or spring load on cover 33 to hold it closed tightly on the associated box or container 32. If pin 30 is omitted the it adjacent pin 26 will serve as the stop to hold springs 21, 28 and 29 initially compressed.

Retainer [9 provides a protective housing for springs 21, 28 and 29 and minimizes accumulation of snow, ice and debris about the latter. Whilebutoneemobidment oftheinvention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications, such as in the size, shape, and arrangement of the parts, are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claim.

What is claimed is: A device for clasping two parts together comprising a sheet of metal formed-as a hooleand 1? adapted to be fixed to one of said parts, a base plate member adapted to be fixed to the other of said parts and including a pair of parallel outwardly extending lugs, a spring housing comprising a hollow member closed at one end and having-a:substantially rectangular cross-section, two of the'sides of said rectangle being substantially shorter than the other two sides,-said shorter side's forming the side walls'of said-housing and the longer sides the front and back walls thereof, the closed *end of said 'housing being formed by said'front and back walls being folded over one another, said' closed'end being provided with a first slot close to one of said side walls and a second' slot close to the other of said side walls, the

long dimensions of said slots being substantially parallelto said sidewalls, eachof saidside walls being provided'with an aperture near the open endo'f saidhousing, a U-shaped yoke disposed with the base part thereof within-said housing yoke, a first pin adapted to engage said hook fixed to and connecting said arms near the free ends thereof, a second pin fixed to and connecting said side Walls of said housing intermediate the open and closed ends thereof, said second pin providinga limit to the movementof said yoke toward theopen end" of said housing, a lever member comprising a substantially fiat front wall and parallel, opposed side walls, said side walls of said lever member extending beyond said front wall of said' lever member to form a pair of parallel arms, said front wall of said lever member extending beyond said side walls of said lever member in a direction-' opposite to the extension of said side walls of said lever member, and bent inwardly to form a lip, a pivotal connection between the arms of said lever, close-to the free ends thereof, and said parallel lugs, a bar connected between the arms of said lever closer to the front wall of said levermemberthan said pivotal connection, said spring housing being disposed betweensaid arms of said' leverw-ith said-bar passing through said apertures in said side walls of-saidhousing.

CATALDO CELESTE.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,382,322" 'Schleicher'r -a. June21, 1921 1,829,447" Hynes';; Oct. 27,1931 2A57j985 Dyson Jan. 4, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES and-with-the parallelarms thereof extending through said slots, 'a plurality of coil springs within' said housing and compressed between the closedend thereof and the base of said U-shaped Wilson, abstract of application Serial Number 602,136,published November 22,1949,- 370 O. G. 757. 

